Results of the 2025 Occoquan Bay Area Annual Butterfly Count

NVBA supports citizen science efforts to monitor butterfly populations across several sites in the Occoquan Bay area.

Each summer, teams of volunteers visit strategic areas of the Occoquan Bay area to count butterflies in conjunction with the North American Butterfly Association (NABA). These citizen scientists collect important data about the health of the butterfly populations and the habitat that supports them. The Occoquan Bay area count began in the 1990s and was certified by the NABA in 2001.

Learn more about the annual count and this year's results in Jim Waggener's report! You can also join Jim at one of these ongoing monthly butterfly and dragonfly surveys across the Occoquan Bay area:

When: Every Friday morning, April through October
View the upcoming survey schedule here.

Locations: In rotation at Occoquan Bay NWR, Meadowood SRMA , Metz Wetlands, and Occoquan Regional Park